Fall fishing has been in full swing on our costal rivers! We have had a great last couple weeks fishing for Largemouth Bass and other warm water species.
We have been spending our time primarily on the Tar River as the water levels have been excellent on the middle and lower river for targeting Largemouth Bass. There is an abundance of bait in the river right now and the fish are gorging themselves for the winter. Both topwater and subsurface baitfish flies have been very effective. Deer Hair divers, crease flies, and wiggle minnows are all great options when the bass are keyed in on baitfish. Natural colors (white, gray, tan, etc.) have worked best for us recently, but keep around some chartreuse and other bright colors for when the fish want something different. When the fishing has gotten tough we have switched over to deep sinking crayfish patterns in olive, tan, and black and fished them tight to structure on intermediate lines. This kind of fishing requires you to go slow and really let the fly drop to the bottom, almost all the hits we get are when the fly is dropping. The river is beautiful with the changing fall foliage and the weather has been really pleasant with highs in the 60’s and 70’s. We can typically continue to target Largemouth through November and this can be a great time to catch a big fish.
The Neuse has continued to fish well as the water has dropped to normal levels. Pretty much the same game as the Tar this time of year; start with baitfish flies and if those don’t work switch to crayfish and go low and slow. The upper river is in great shape for wading now that the summer crowds have cleared out.
We still have plenty of time to get on the water to chase Largemouth on the fly, give us a call to get your fall trip booked.